November 11, 2003

Proposed Legislation to Fix Presidential Public Financing System

The Hill offers Campaign Reform--Part II; Bid to Raise Cap on Spending and Add Money Multiplier," which begins: "Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and Reps. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) are drafting legislation to provide the presidential public financing system with a major infusion of federal money. They want to raise the spending cap substantially so that candidates who are successful raising money do not opt out of the federal system, as President Bush and Democratic front-runner Howard Dean have done. The lawmakers also envisage a system in which private donations would be not simply be matched but multiplied perhaps, several times, with federal dollars. "